PPL Holtwood doubles capacity of hydroelectric plant

James Kiscaden of Lancaster casts a line at the base of Holtwood Dam. PPL has doubled the capacity of the project's powerhouse.
(file )

York, PA -

PPL Holtwood has completed its 125-megawatt powerhouse at its hydroelectric facility along the Susquehanna River.

The powerhouse is part of a $440 million expansion project to boost the plant's generating capacity and improve fish passage over a century-old dam.

The integrated improvements to the fish lifts and water flows are expected to better attract fish into the lifts and ease their migration along the river and its tributaries.

The new, state-of-the-art powerhouse sits adjacent to an existing powerhouse and more than doubles the plant's generating capacity from about 108 megawatts to more than 230 megawatts. The additional capacity is enough to power about 100,000 homes.

The Holtwood plant is owned by PPL Holtwood, a subsidiary of PPL Generation. The plant uses a dam - spanning the Susquehanna River between southeastern York County and Lancaster County - to generate electricity using water.

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